[BPL888]

The next morning we had breakfast poolside and then I saw my friend off on a guagua as she had to go to work. I was going to stay in Playa Palenque for one more night and then meet her in the capital. This was one more night than I had planned and I found the hotel and the whole area so peaceful and pleasant that one more night would do me no harm. I spent a quiet morning walking the beach. There were only a half dozen people on the beach. The pier was deserted so I sat out on it and read a book. Around noon I returned to the hotel for a nap (Oh Vacations! ). I then returned mid afternoon to the Golden Beach Restaurant for a plate of shrimp (delicious) and a grande Presidente(ice cold) and an afternoon of watching the waves and meditating on the mysteries. The power was out so there was no music and that was OK with me, though the waitress seemed dissappointed. Besides the waitress and a few of her friends I was the only one there. At one point I noticed some movement on the beach all around me. Thinking that the sun, the beer, the meditation or all three were getting to me I rubbed my eyes and looked closer. I then discovered that I was surrounded by a lot of (50-60) crabs. They seemed to watch me and with the slightest movement they would dissapear back into thier holes in the sand. They had very big eyes (Fiddler crabs?) and if I remained still long enough they would reemerge from thier burrows and just look at me. If I am not mistaken I do believe they were trying to figure out how to eat me. Being several Presidentes into the process I found this game of hide and seek amusing. I spent an hour or so watching them watching me and wondering if they would approach me. They did not. They were very fast and with my slightest move the beach would go from 50-60 crabs to 0 crabs within one second. As the day wore on some dark clouds appeared and the beach turned cloudy and windy. The few swimmers on the beach came up to the shelter of the restaurant just as the rain started. The rain and wind was intense and I practiced my spanish weather words with the new arrivals. The storm left as quickly as it came and the visitors scattered leaving me the only patron at the bar. The day was growing late and the waitress was preparing to close down. She told me I was welcome to stay as late as I wanted as there was a watchman on duty so I ordered one last beer and spent a half an hour chatting and sharing my beer with the watchman. They all seemed curious as to how I found myself all the way out in Playa Palenque on a Monday afternoon in the slow season. Just lucky I guess ! I also think I provided them some entertainment and relief to the boredom that day. With darkness approaching I made my way back to the hotel for a swim and some dinner. Peter and Maria were entertaining some guests so I enjoyed some more conversation. The guests were a mix of Germans and Swiss with Dominican and Hatien wives. It made for a very interesting mix of language and accents. I also tried giving english lessons to the girls working the bar. They seemed amused. The European men seemed stunned that I knew next to nothing about the World Cup. It really has not caught on in the US. The chicken cordon bleau for dinner was excellent (280 RD ?). As the day ended I needed to mentaly prepare for the assault on my senses that was comming tomorrow with my return to the capital. To be continued...